Contrivance for charging solid fuel into water-gas producers



Oct. 1, 1940. H KoppEgs 2,216,116

CONTRIVANCE FOR CHARGING SOLID FUEL INTO WATER-GAS PRODUCERS Filed Feb.,,6,- 1939 Patented Oct. 1, 1940 PATENT I OFFICE FUEL INTO WATERfGASPRODUCERS Heinrich Koppers, Essen, Germany, assignor to Heinrich KoppersGesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Essen, Germany ApplicationFebruary 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,917

' In Germany February 9, 1938 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for distributing the fuel intogas producers or other apparatus which are charged with solid fuel andother material of varying grain size.

It is difficult to distribute a solid" fuel of varying grain sizeuniformly in water gas producers. The ordinary revolving distributorsused in lean gas producers cannot be used in water gas producers sincethe temperature in the top of the .water gas producer rangesconsiderably higher. In most cases only a closable opening is providedin the roof of the water gas producer through which the fuel is chargedinto the shaft. This method of fuel feeding is, however, unfavourable.The fuel falls from a considerable height onto the fuel charge and thiseffects an undesired crushing especially of the larger fuel pieces. Alsoa separation with regard to the grain size of the charging material maytake place.

According to the present invention a considerable improvement is arrivedat in connection with water-gas producers in that the charging openingof the water gas producer is connected 'with a closable fuel chargingchamber in which is movably feeding pipe being designed so as to belowered into the producer shaft and to form a lower extension of saidfuel charging chamber, the lower opening of said fuel feeding chamberand said feeding pipe being controlled by a conicalsealing member whichis movable coaxially to said feeding pipe. In the closed position of theconical sealing member the feeding pipe lies fully within the feedingchamber. When lowering the sealing member the feeding cylinder followsthe downward movement of the sealing member until the feeding. pipereaches its lower end position. A further lowering of the sealing membercauses an annular opening between the sealing member and the lower edgeof the feeding pipe so'that the fuel contained in the feeding pipe maydischarge into the producer shaft. After the discharge of the fuel thesealing member is lifted and thereby the pipe is moved upwards into thecharging chamber.

The fuel feeding means according to the present invention offers thegreat advantage that tl drop height of the fuel within the gas producercan be reduced to the same extent which for in- O stance has proved notdangerous in connection with standard lean gas producers. An undesirablecrushing of the fuel caused by the free drop from the fuel inlet ontothe upper side of the gas producer charge is thereby avoided. On theother hand the individual parts of the fuel distributor are out ofcontact with the hot gases in the top of the water gas'producer as soonas the sealing cone is in closed position. During the short intervalwhen the fuel feeding pipe does reach into the gas producer shaft thepipe is filled with the arranged a vertical feeding pipe, said cold fueland thus can only be heated to a small degree.

Another feature of the present invention is to arrange an open waterseal outside the charging hopper or chamber so as to cool the metalparts of the fuel feeder which reach into the opening of the producerroof.

Finally my invention consists in that the actuating rod of the sealingmember is of such a length that the sealing cone can be lowered down tothe surface of the fuel so as to control the level of the charge in thegas producer.

With'the above and other objects and features ofmy present invention inview, I will now describe a preferred embodiment thereof on the lines ofthe accompanying drawing which shows a vertical section through the fueldistributor constructed according to the present invention.

The roof of the water gas producer is marked 7 I on the drawing. In themiddle of this roof is arranged an opening 2. Outside the opening 2 isfixed a charging chamber or hopper 3 on the top of which is arranged acylindrical body 4 of a somewhat narrower cross section. The charginghopper 3 and the extension 4 are closed by a removable cover 5. Anopening 6 is provided on one side of the cover 5 through which the fuelis charged. The opening 6 is suitably connected with an ordinarymeasuring apparatus in order to be able to regulate the quantity of fuelto be charged into the chamber.

'In the middle of the cover 5 is suitably arranged an opening I builtlike a stuffing box through which extends a rod 8. The rod 8 carries atits lower end the conical sealing member 9,

the bottom I0-of which is provided with an inwardly extending outerprojection I I. The outer projection II .is lined with refractorymaterial- Inside the feeding chamber is placed a pipelike body I3 openat both ends. The body I3 is fitted with an annular projection I4 whichis movable within the range of the lower charging hopper 13.1 The loweredge of the cylinder I3 rests uponthesealing member 9 when the feeder:

is closed.

As soon'as the'sealing' member 9 is lowered by means of the rod8 thecylinder I3 also sinks down to such'an extent that its annularprojection I4 rests upon the stop surface I5 on the in-' her sideof thecharging hopper 3. This lower final positionof the cylinder I3 is shownby dot and dash lines at I6 on thedrawing. As may be seen frorrrthedrawing the cylinder I3 reaches rather deeply into the gas producershaft.

The, cylindrical feeding member I3 is del signed with substantially thesame height as the -feedingchamber formed by parts 3 and 4 as shown onthe drawing. The fuel charged into the feeding chamber lies thereforeentirely in the range of said feeding pipe I3. If the feeding pipe I3moves downwards by lowering the sealing cone 9, then the fuel chargedinto the chamber is moved downwards without leaving the feeding pipe l3.If now the sealing cone 9 is further lowered after the cylinder I3 hasreached its final lowered position as shown for instance at IS in dotand dash lines on the drawing, then a ring like slot is formed betweenthe sealing member and the cylinder l3 through which the fuel containedin the charging hopper may slide downwards.

An annular recess I9 is suitably provided on the sealing member 9. Thisrecess l9 serves to deflect the fuel sliding downwards over the inclinedsealing face of the cone which must fit against the lower edge of thecharging hopper 3 so as to ensure a gas-tight sealing.

Outside the charging hopper is provided a channel 20 filled with asuitable cooling liquid' for instance water. This cooling channel servesto lead off the heat from the metal parts of the closure which reachinto the shaft of the water gas producer where there exists rather ahigh temperature so that any dangerous superheating, especially at thesealing faces of the charging hopper and of the sealing member, isavoidedv The rod 8 is preferably of such a length that it may be loweredinto the gas producer shaft down to the fuel charge. If suitable marksor other means are provided on the outside for the rod 8, it is easilypossible to determine from the outside the exact position of the surfaceof the fuel charge in the gas producer.

The rod 8 is fitted with a suitable drive for instance a screw drive bymeans of which it may be lowered or lifted manually or mechanically.

- I have now above described my present invention on the lines of apreferred embodiment thereof but my invention is not limited in all itsaspects to the mode of carrying it out as described and shown, since theinvention may be variously embodied within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. Closure means for water-gas producers or the like having a top fuelcharging opening in its top, comprising: a fuel charging chamberarranged outside the producer top over the top fuel charging opening; avertical feeding cylinder arranged for vertical movement within the fuelchamber; a conical sealing valve movable vertically relative to the fuelchamber into the producer; said feeding cyinder being carried by theconical sealing valve so that it is raised into and lowered outof thefuel charging chamber through the producer opening by the raising andlowering of the valve; said valve closing the feeding cylinder at itsbottom when in the fuel chamber and when moved downwards into theproducer, until the cylinder reaches its final position for opening,whence the cylinder is opened for fuel discharge by further downwardmovement of the valve, said conical sealing valve being also adapted, inits raised closed position, to seal the fuel charging chamber off at itslower opening from the interior of the producer, to close off the fuelchamber, with the feeding cylinder therein, from contact with hot gasesin the producer.

2. Closure means for water-gas producers or the like having a top fuelcharging opening in its top, comprising: a fuel charging chamberarranged outside the producer top over the top fuel charging opening; avertical feeding cylinder arranged for vertical movement within the fuelchamber; a sealing valve movable vertically relative to the fuel chamberinto the producer; said feeding cylinder being carried by the sealingvalve so that it is raised into and lowered out of the fuel chargingchamber through the producer opening by the raising and lowering of thevalve; said valve closing the feeding cylinder at its bottom when in thefuel chamber and when moved downwards into the producer whence thecylinder is opened for fuel discharge by movement of the valve, saidsealing valve being also adapted, in its raised closed position, to sealthe fuel charging chamber off at its lower opening from the interior ofthe producer, to close Off the fuel chamber, with the feeding cylindertherein, from contact with hot gases in the producer.

3. Closure means for water-gas producers or the like having a top fuelcharging opening in its top, comprising: a fuel charging chamberarranged outside the producer top over the top fuel charging opening; avertical feeding cylinder arranged for vertical movement within the fuelchamber; a sealing valve movable vertically relative to the fuel chamberinto the producer; said feeding cyinder being carried by the sealingvalve so that it is raised into and lowered out of the fuel chargingchamber through the producer opening by the raising and lowering of thevalve; said valve closing thefeeding cylinder at its bottom when in thefuel chamber and when moved downwards into the producer whence thecylinder is opened for fuel discharge by movement of the valve, saidsealing valve being also adapted, in its raised closed position, to sealthe fuel charging chamber off at its lower opening from the interior ofthe producer, to close off the fuel chamber, with the, feeding cylindertherein, from contact with hot gases in the producer; and water-coolingmeans for water cooling the fuel chamber on its outside.

4. Closure means for water-gas producers or the like having a top fuelcharging opening in its top, comprising: a fuel charging chamberarranged outside the producer top over the top fuel charging opening; avertical feeding cylinder arranged for vertical movement within the fuelchamber; a conical sealing valve movable vertically relative to the fuelchamber into the producer; said feeding cyinder being carried by theconical sealing valve so that it is raised into and lowered out of thefuel charging chamber through the producer opening by the raising andlowering of the valve; said valve closing the feeding cylinder at itsbottom when in the fuel chamber and when moved downwards into theproducer, until the cylinder reaches its final position for opening,whence the cylinder is opened for fuel discharge by further downwardmovement of the valve, said conical sealing valve being also adapted, inits raised closed position, to seal the fuel charging chamber off at itslower opening from the interior of the producer, to close off the fuelchamber, with the feeding cylinder therein, from contact with hot gasesin'the producer, a vertical rod for actuating said conical sealingvalve, said rod projecting through the feeding cylinder and extendingthrough the fuel charging chamber to outside the same, for actuation,and said rod being designed of the. length required for lowering thesealing member down to the level for the surface of the fuel charge ofthe water-gas producer. I I,

- =I-IEINRICH KOPPERS.

